'I was asking for maximum effort' - Grand National-winning rider Ryan Mania overturns ten-day non-trier ban

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Grand National-winning jockey Ryan Mania has successfully appealed against a ten-day suspension for not obtaining the best possible placing in a race at Wetherby last month.

Mania was banned by the raceday stewards for his ride on the Ruth Jefferson-trained Dontelimurnamepike in the 2m juvenile hurdle at the West Yorkshire track on January 22, in which he finished a 21-length fifth. 

They determined he breached rule (F)37 for "failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures to obtain the best possible placing", having "failed to demonstrate sufficient effort from after jumping the second-last hurdle". 

Mania's suspension was quashed by an independent disciplinary panel on Wednesday. His representative Rory Mac Neice said it was a "classic hands-and-heels ride that had comfortably met the threshold". The panel agreed after a three-and-a-half-hour hearing.

Panel chair Gareth Graham said: "We reached a decision and it was unanimous. We consider the horse was asked for timely, real and substantial effort. The horse was ridden to obtain the best possible position, and all other reasonable and permissible measures were taken to achieve that."

Mania told the panel that Dontelimurnamepike, who he was riding for the first time, was positioned "a lot further" back in the field early on than originally hoped due to him struggling in the soft ground. 

He said his mount was "not enjoying it one bit" and "going nowhere", and the horse had used up a lot of his energy before entering the home straight. Mania also said that in the closing stages Dontelimurnamepike was one-paced, despite passing some rivals, and felt like a tired horse. 

He told the panel: "You can't win a race when a horse isn't capable of doing so, but you've got to be realistic and finish in the best place you can. Every horse is different and you've got to adjust, which is our job. 

"Every horse is different, just like humans. I gave him the best chance and believe he ran the best race he could."

Rory Mac Neice: argued it was a "classic hands-and-heels ride" from Ryan ManiaCredit: Steven Cargill

Charlotte Davison, representing the BHA, argued Mania's "very limited" use of hands on the reins and lack of use of the whip between the final three hurdles showed he was not asking for real and substantial effort.

However, Mania responded: "There was real effort. I was using my arms and legs, but my arms aren't exaggerated as that's not my style. I used my whip at the end of the back straight because we were going nowhere and getting detached, but using it in the home straight wouldn't have made him go any quicker.

"I was hands and heels all the way, and asking for maximum effort. I'm not sure what else I could have done."

Mania, who won the 2013 Grand National on Auroras Encore and is also a Cheltenham Festival-winning rider, is now free to ride between Friday and Sunday week. He was separately suspended for a day, which he served on January 26, for weighing in at more than 2lb overweight on Dontelimurnamepike.

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